Improvement in counterpoise-batteries



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

vB.KENN0N. Counterpoisfe Batteries.

No. 204,831. vPatented June11.1878.'

.A 4 sheets-'sheet 2..

B. KBNNON. Gounterpose Batteries. No. 204,831. Patented 11111611.1878.

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um@ MIIIHI 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

B. KENNON.

Counterpoise Batteries.

No. 204,831. PatentedJun-e11,1s 7s.

4 sheets-sneer 4'.

B. KENNON. Counterpo-se Batteries.

N. 204,831. Patented .lune11,1878.

l allowed to be placed in it.

NTTEDV STATES PATENT Brien.

BEVERIEY KENN ON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COUNTERPOISE-BATTER-l EIS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,831, dated June 11,1878; application tiled v Dccember'27, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BEVERLEY KENNON, of Washington city, in the Districtof Columbia, have invented a Counterpoise-Battery for the protection ofcannon in coast defense and the field, and also on board iron-cladgun-boats -for river and harbor defense; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification.

Figure l, Sheet l, is the plan of the foundation for the battery, whichwe will suppose in this instance to be thirty-three feet deep andsixty-three feet in diameter. In its center an open space of thirteenfeet in diameter will be left, extending to the surface, All otherportions of the original space of thirty-three by sixty-three feet willbe covered with earth or sand after the work in itis made ready for thiscovering. This open space or tube will form, if Imay so express it, aninverted MartelloV tower,7 within which a platform '(counterpoised)wlloperate, and upon which two pieces of cannon will be mounted. On thecircumference of this inner circle or tube, which will `form thegun-pit, there are twelve openings or passage-ways leading into rooms orthe wells for the counterpoises.

a is the kitchen', with a cellar, a, underneath, Fig. 2, for the stowageof fuel; a', its passage-way. Y

b is the sleeping-room for the officers. b (other figures) is the cellarunderneath, in which will be stored liquors, medicines, and those thingswhich require special looking after; b', its passage.

c is the shell-room; c, its cellar, to be used for the stowage of extraprojectiles or provisions; c', its passage; d, water-closet; d', itspassage, leading from that of the shell-room.

There is no cellar under this room; but thereY is one under itspassage-way, which, like the others, is used for a water-tank.

e is the magazine; e, its cellar, for the stowage of ammunition. Nothingelse will be e', its passage; f and g, soldiers quarters; f and g, theircellars, to be used for the stowage of provisions;

' f and g', their'passages.V In f is given the arrangement for theberths h for the men, which are in two tiers, Fig. 2.

` Under ct b c d ef g are spaces or cellars which are to be convertedinto reservoirs for water, where it will be kept cool and sweet.

vIron tanks will be a useless expense, and water should never be kept inwooden vessels.

L4, light-rooms for magazine and shell-room; w, thecounterpoise-weights. The space or wells in which they work are enteredby the passage w', which, in other figures, is shown comprehensively.

o, the ventilator-pipe for the magazine and shell-room, which, comingfrom the surface to a .point behind these rooms and below the openingsinto them, has two branches, m and n, inclining upward, Fig. 8, andentering these rooms through their rear walls. The greatest securityagainst the possibility of their being made channels for communicatingwater or intlammable matter is thus provided, and in the bottoni end 0fthe main stem mit, Fig. 8, an opening permits any rainwater which maybein it to pass outof it into the sand in which it is built. Wire-gauzemust be placed over the opening where these pipes or branches enter themagazine and shell-room, to prevent the passage of llame. made of wood,stone, brick, or, the present style of water-pipe.

The ventilator-pipes enter all other rooms, Figs. 2, 3, and 7, directlythrough their roofs.

Bythis means much light and air is admitted.` Indeed, the ventilation isperfect, as is illus` trated in the cases of wind-sails on shipboard.

'The ventilator-trimmers, which ship in place on the surface end of theventilator, should have glass sides, back, and. top, so as not toobstruct the free passage of light, as well as air. At any time duringthe day there is light enough below throughout the battery to read orwrite.

At the point x a post (shelved and loaded, so as not to be easily drawnfrom its place) is planted, to which the apparatus for lowering theplatform must be attached; or the crosspieces y of timber7 with thewalls ofthe battery resting on their ends to keep them in place, may, attheir point of intersection, have this lowering apparatus attached tothem; and in cases where there are no cellars to this battery,

they will serve as deck-beams, upon which a flooring will be laid. Inthis case we have a .cellar throughout the battery, which is seen Thesepipes may bev under d2, Fig. 2, Sto., and which beams d2 are l and mustbe used to bring as many points of iioored over.

p in Fig. 2 indicates provision-barrels in the cellar a, and in Fig. 3,in the passage-way af, a water-tap, r, is seen, in which ahand-pump isoperated to draw off the daily supply, when it will be locked; af, thewater-tank, lled at r.

Fig. 2 is an end View of one of the rooms, as seen from its rear, withthe ventilator@ entering through its roof, and the arrangement of theberths h for the men.

Fig. 3 is a view of one of the roomsand its approaches, as seen fromover x, the center of the gun-pit, and the openings or passages w',which lead to the wells'w,in which the counterpoise-work w is to beseen. The double arch represents the larger one, m2, over the roonl,with one end resting on one end of the arch a3, over the passage-way,which adds to its strength and the height of the room. The iiooring ofthe rooms and passages is a little inclined toward the gun-pit, so as tocarry off any water from them into the drainage-pipes, or, if there benone, into a receiving-tank, which must be pumped out,ship-fashion,whenever occasion may require it. There never will be much to get ridof, as an awning over the mouth of the gun-pit will protect it fromdampness and from the sun.

Before filling in with sand or earth after the rooms are built, maintorpedo-wires (and a plenty of them) must be laid, and, if near a city,gas-pipes and water-pipes. lf the battery be built on a hill,waste-pipes must be laid down first of all.

lf it be diiiieult to go deeper than twenty feet to build this battery,the rooms must run far enough back to gain the space wanted for cellarsand two tiers of berths. Their height must be reduced, if need be, tothree feet, so as to obtain the greatest thickness or depth of earthover them, and in any case-in this one particularly-it is desirable tohave sand for this covering, instead of the earth in which the batteryis sunk, whatever the expense or trouble may be to get it, it being sofar superior, owing to its elasticity, as a covering.

It will be necessary to go deeper than twenty feet for the wells for thecounterpoise-Weights, so as to secure their safety. Should water beencountered, then water-tight wells must be made, and the diameters ofthe weights must be increased, and they be made of lead, so as to havethe greatest weight encompassed in the smallest space. In other casessolid cast-iron blocks, or, iij ample space is at command to work themin, then sheetiron or heavy oaken buckets, which, being iilled withwater, will prove far cheaper and accomplish the same object. Sixweights are used in this instance, because the diameter of the gun-pit(thirteen feet) will not admit of a greater number, and to provide thenecessary passages, (twelve,) but with al greater diameter to thegun-pit a larger number of counterpoise-weights can support to bear, andas near together as possible. Whatever the diameter of the gun-pit maybe, the passages must be large enough for their intended purposes. Theyneed not be built in proportion to any increase in the size of it. dz,deck-beams extending throughout the battery.

Fig. 4, Sheet 2, represents the gun-pit with the platform in place andboth guns mounted. Over all of this work, excepting the gun-pit, earthor sand will be thrown, and the surface leveled off and turfed, ifnecessary, to make its locality and surroundings appear as before anysuch battery was built. It will then require an English pointer dog tofind it.

t? are large blocks of stone in rear of the slides, as, on firing, theforce of recoil comes directly upon them, and weightin them is requiredto resist it. The additional stone packing Z5 is to get all the soliditypossible about these points. At other points where this recoil is notfelt large blocks of stone are not needed; and if the battery wereconstructed of wood, with-its parts bolted together, the mutual supportafforded by all these parts as one solid body would obviate thenecessity of using such heavy weights behind the points indicated. y2 issmaller stone, or even a single brick, in the spaces between x2. g5 isits stone packing also. In this case the pressure comes from without,and heavy Work is unnecessary, the arch shape of the gun-pit giving thereqand be smooth on the inner (gun-pit side) facing; or oneinch plankingmight take the place of the stone y, and solid blocks of timber that ofmi.

In some localities it may be necessary to use wood in the entireconstruction of the rooms and gun-pit-in fact, of the battery- .the onlyobjections being the liability of destruction by iire, and in time bydecay. For temporary works, which will seldom be occupied, it will bebest and cheapest to use wood.

When digging out a gun-pit in certain soils it will save time and moneyto tunnel out the rooms, which, being built of timber, log-cabinfashion, and the earth packed over and around them, will not take longto construct.

R4 are rammer scuttles or pipes, in which the ends of the ramnler andsponge-handles are introduced, and their heads in the bore of the gunafterward. Any number may be laid. The rammer-handle may be kept alwaysin this pipe, the working or outer end near the gun being so iitted thata sponge-head can be exchanged from it for a rammer-head, and viceversa, which will prove convenient, and save much time in the smallspace afforded to charge muzzle-loaders. If it beinconvenient to pointthe gun fair for these pipes for loading, thejointed rammerj randjointed spongehandlesj s may be used. They are not inconvenient byany means, and might well beinuisite strength.' The tting of thesestones g or bricks y2 must be neatly and securely done,

troduced to work the lee guns of small vessels of war in a heavy Seaway,or when they are rolling deep when running free.

s r is ajointed sponge and rammer handle combined for use forbreech-loaders. The guns in these figures are supposed to befortypounder breech-loading Armstrongs.

In Fig. 4, Slo is the gun-slide, upon which the two guns are mounted,working on a common center, P, or the platform P. rlhe trainingtrucksmove over the gun-circle gc, as indicated, and an inner one is alsoshown to give greaterl support to the slide above its center, where thegreatest strain is felt at tiring, the slide being an inclined one.

r is one of the six upper friction-rollers on the ends of thevplatfornrframe; r, one of the rollers on the lower end of the slide,`near E and F, Fig. 7.`Y On each side of r and rf' are smaller rollers,to overcome the binding which may take place there. The little play ofouetenth of an inch between the ends of platformslide and the grooves inwhich they work admits of so littleincline to the slides, or rather theyare so little off the perpendicular, thereby making such a very minuteangle with the faces of the grooves in whichV they work, that thefriction brought to bear does not amount to much; and where the groovesand slides are of hard wood, it may be best not to use these frictionrollers, which will wear away a wooden surface, but plenty of good axleygrease.

In Fig. 4 are three ladders, n", and three ammunitionscutt-les, As.Howsoever the gunslide may be turned, oneladder and one scuttl/e willalways be perfectly free and clear for use.

A tackle hooked to a crane, C2, Fig. 8, passes down through AS to andabreast of the magazine-door at the bottom of the gun-pit,

y where aman uses it to hoist ammunition up to the menen the plat-form.As soon as the charge is landed on the grating out of which As is cut,the covering over As closes it. The tackle is then nnhooked from thecrane C2 and dropped on t-he platform, where it remains out of the way,Vas its slack pays itself below-through an opening in the lid over AS,and the crane C2 is then shut within the wall to allow the platform topass before it. I have so fitted one; but a better plan would be to stepthe crane perpendicularly on the platform itself, as it could not thenjam, and would not have to be touched excepting when pointing the gun.

' Fig. `5y represents .the battery completed and ready for use, thegratings over the ladders being in place, one gun run out and the otherrun in, to show the space they require to work in.

we is the inner rim of an iron edge of the gun-pit, which, projectingover` it a little, decreases the diameter of the opening about a foot,and shelters the grooves, slides, and friction-rollers from theweathersomenplating over what, and protects them from dirt and loosesand; The platform does not reach this iron plating when up, as S', Fig.7 or 8, will show.

xd, Fig. 5, is the outer edge of this rim o f iron plating, its uppersurface being flat and Hush with the surface of the earth. This ironplating or finish is given in permanent works; but elsewhere will beseenreasons for another mode of finishing off the upper portion of thebattery in cases where they will be temporary structures, or for fieldservice. 4

To further lessen the chances for receiving injury from plunging shot,Ihave in Fig. 6 an iron covering, T, say two inches thick, titted flatover the mouth of the gun-pit, it being let into the rim between wd andx, where it rests upon rollers or shot, and is revolved by hand by meansof a crank, so that the opening Y Z te W be kept always over the guns,and fair for them to pass up through for iiring, when, if it bedesirable, the guns being below, this opening Y Z u W may be closedentirely by slides underneath on the sides Y Z and u W.

If two inches is thickness enough to protect the decks of iron ships ofwar, they being in some instances four hundred feet by sixty feet, it isVery sure the thickness of T in this case will be. more than isnecessary; but it is given to allow opportunities to suggest a reductionin its thickness. Vhen this covering is used, the space between itsunder side and the top of the platform upon which the mustbe fully sixfeet two inches in the clear, which is easily obtained by raising thecheeks of carriages, and the training-.trucks must be increased in theirdiameters.

I have given these drawings to explain the object I have in view. Incase, the platform goes up too high, higher cheeks to the guncarriages,with the slides two feet higer than in the figures, would bring theplatform lower, thereby adding far greater protection to the men,platform, slide, Ste.

When this battery is above the batteries of an enemy, he cannot harm it,particularly if he is close. Other batteriescannot have this said for'them. An enemy must knock away the hundreds of feet ot' sand between himand this to harm it. If he be distant from it, a plunging shot mightstrike about its edge. The rooms below cannot be harmed, and if the ironplating is used,'as shown 'in this and Figs. 7 and 8, a shot could do nodamage coming from a distance, and if it should strike in front of thebattery, it would be turned off in its path by the sand alone.

1t', instead of any of the iron plating referred to, (it being dispensedwith,) the platform be constructed to ascend no higher than six feetfrom the surface, then from the point reached by it down to thefoundation all the strength required in the construction of the batterywill be needed and found, leaving from the top of the platform, when upto theV surface (six feet) the only exposed portion of gun worksit-theonly porti-on liable to injury-to be built of the simplest and cheapestmaterials, sand and canvas.

Place a suiicient number of wooden or`iron stanchions along the upperedge of the work as far as completed, to preserve the shape of thegun-pit. Stretch one or more thicknesses of painted canvas around thesestanchions, and fill in with sand behind them. The pressure of the sandor earth on the canvas will not amount to much, and a shot striking itwill pass th rough the front and rear of the battery, making an almostharmless hole, which, witha needle, thread,and a patch, can be quicklyrepaired. No shot could reach any great distance below the surface, asthe sand would turn it upward, and it could cutoff the upper portion ofthe gun-pit only, making it doubtlul if another ever would come so near,as the opening to it, being small, and lying flat 0n the surface, offersa minute object as a target.

If heavy iron plating be about the mouth of this fort, heavy projectileswould,-on striking it, shake thewhole structure, and do infinitely moredamage than the harmless passage of one twenty-inch shot through itcould do; or, if a shell should knock off bricks, or

' stones, or splinters, or enter the rear walls,

and there lodge and burst, and do its work of destruction, it might beregretted not having built the battery to resist such projectiles, ormaking it so as to give a free unobstructed passage to them through it.In the one case, such a battery will cost half a million dollars; in theother case, a very few thousand dollars.

Suppose the whole top of the fort knocked off, the gun need not be hurt,nor the men, nor slide, nor anything excepting the point struck, when,under the cover of darkness, this damage could he repaired. The loosesand turned into the gun-pit could be stored away in the rooms until theopportunity offered to remove it.

This battery is cheap every way, but particularly is it so at the onlypoint where it can be harmed by any direct firing; and when niortars arebrought to bear upon it, by erecting an ordinary bomb-proof over themouth of the gun-pit (the only point a mortar could harm it) its gunscan amuse the enemy by firing from underneath it.

Fig. 7, Sheet 3, represents the gun in position for firing.

The line from A a to B b represents the surface of the earth; t, theventilator down through the roofs of the rooms serving as quarters.

The gun being ready for firing, the ventilator-trimmer is removed and abulls-eye screwed into the pipe, so as not to shut off the light.

At z in the center grooves are openings in l front of two of thecounterpoise-wheels, (now they can be seen, as the platform is up,)through which the counterpoise-chains e6 pass, thence over the wheelsdown into the wells w", where they are secured to the weights w.

All'the space under A a to B b down to m2, excepting the interior of thegun-pit, is filled up with earth or sand. a, side view of a room, withbunks h, flooring cl2, and under it (65') provisions, p.

The platform being up, the weights are resting on the blocks b, so theupper part of the platform at A and B touches nothing.

In this plate or figure is seen the advantage of suspending the platformfrom the lower ends of the slides at E and F and the necessity forhaving the blocks b.

S is the filling in of the groove S at its upper end, as itis useless atthat point, eX- cepting to'ship and unship the platform.

The gun, being over the point A, binds it there, and at the oppositelower end F, but the rollers 1" and r relieve this when the platform isin motion. The longer, therefore, that A E and B F can be, the lessfriction there will be to overcome, and the little play of one-tenth ofan inch between the slides and the grooves will have a longer space tobe divided into, thereby bringing the pressure more nearlyin a straightor direct line, when, if the distance A E were one-iifth, say, as great,the amount of friction to overcome would bea very serious matter in anycase, and, where very large guns are mounted, would be almostinsurmountable. Instead of a platform like this, an iron cylinder mightbe suspended, the upper end being decked over, the gun placed upon it,and such interior arrangements of supports made as to secure itssolidity and safety. Grooves in this case would be as necessary asguides in the case spoken of, for the platform would not follow in anupright position the direction taken by the counterpoise-chains, itbeing slung on the bottom. L,lightroom.

I will now leave this figure for the next one, Fig. 8, as theexplanation of what remains in l this one will be found in the other.

Fig. 8, Sheet 4, represents the gun in posil tion for loading. A a to Bb, the surface of the earth; t, ventilator-pipe for magazine andshell-room, with its branches m and n leading into them through theirrear walls. At m n an opening is left for water to pass out into theground. The reasons for leading this differently from that in Fig. 7have been given. The trimmer in this case (gun being out of use)`is inplace; but in the event of battle it will be unshipped and a solid metalcap screwed into the upper end of the ventilatorpipe in its place. S, aniron plating extending far enough over the upper edge of the gunpit togive protection where repeated blows (if received) from heavyprojectiles tired from great distances would mostly do their damageabout the upper edge of the gun-pit. It also adds to the protection tothe rammer-pipes R4, being near the surface, and the arches B1 over thecounterpoise-wheels w".

S are the grooves in the Walls of the battery, in which the ends of theplatform-frame, tted to slides A C E and B D F, Work, and to which attheir upper ends after the platform is in place. They assist in keepingdirt out of the grooves S, and regulate or mark the upper limit to wherethe platform must go. lf the blocks b were not used, S would prevent theupper ends of platformframe timbers from striking the iron rim near me,and, besides, loosening the work at that point. lf the platform shouldrush up too rapidly and too far, it would do great damage to thecounterpoisewheels, chains, Sto.

The faces of the grooves S have iron strips bolted upon them to take thewear from the slides. Wooden slides (unshod) working in wooden grooveswould prove as handy and cost less money.

The platformiframe A B C D E F is so constructed that it will be keptalways almost perfectly horizontal. rlhe longer the slides A to E and Bto F the easier it will work, and the longer the slides the lower downthe wheel w* can go-a very great consideration; [n the figure will beseen the result if the platform were slung at C and D, or at A and B.

The diagonal braces M N O lELvwith iron knees in the' angles at thepoints theyfmeet the platformframe timbers, are bolted through to theiropposite ones; so, too, at every intersection of any two timbers in theconstruction of this platform, which makes it impossible to yield orwork, notwithstanding the heavy weights upon it. By crossing these threetimbers at a common center to have the six frame f ends, Fig. 4, greatweakness is caused y,where great strength is needed.. Torrestore thisstrength, a stout wooden block, K, is placed between them, its endsextending between the frame-tin1bers. Iron bands run from along theunder side of the platform-frame timber down this block K, and overlapthe upper side of the lower frame-timber. The pivotplate bolts throughthis iron strap at k, through K to its opposite one, and through 7c andthe iron plate L on underside of second or lower frame-work. The strainnow comes end on, and on the ends of these iron bands,which, beingbolted through K, cannot yield, and this point, which was once theweakest, is now the strongest. The weight of the guns may rest over thecenter or on their training-trucks, which work on the ends of theuprights A E and B F at A and B. i

When using inclined slides it will be well to relieve the center of theslide of 'some weight from the guns, as on tiring greater strain isbrought to bear upon it about the pivot than would be the case if a.horizontal slide were( used; but, the platform being nearly balanced,any'undue strain upon it would cause it to yield to it, thereby escapingstraining. K is an iron rod, secured at L and the lower ends of theslides, to prevent the drawing or binding of these ends too tightlyagainst the faces of the s-ides S. C3 is the gun-carriage; Sw, the slidefor both guns; P, the pivotbolt; P', the upper side of the upperplatform, which is decked over, while the one between D and C is open;Rrthe inner ends of the rammer-pipes; R4, the pipes themselves,

the outer ends being tightly closed to keep the sand out; L', stationaryladders, (three of them altogethen) extending from the surface to thebottom of the battery, and are boltedto the sides of the gun-pit; no,ladders on platform, which move with it, and from them to L any one canstep, wherever the platform may be; r', 'rollers on the upper side ofplatform at frame ends; r, rollers on the lower ends of slides S marksthe lowest point reached by the grooves S, so that when the platform isdown there is any quantity of room under it. r is the tap for wateroverthe tanks in the cel lars a' g e d, 8m.; w', passagesV under thesmall arches to reach the weights w in the wells w". The space w aboutthe counterpoise-wheel @04, and covered by the arch B', can be reachedby means of the counterpoisechain which comes down from it, should anycause exist to require a visit to it; but if any break occurs about thewheel wt, instead of removing any portion of the walls of the battery,one must remove the sand above the stone O', covering the entrance tothe space w, in which the wheel u# is. On getting down to O', removeit,do the required work, replace these stones, forming a slab, and th rowthe sand back into its place again. A is a heavy block of sione, whichbeing placed at the end of A, the wooden blocks upon which thecounterpoise-wheels work keep them in place, A being packed in between Aand O to give greater security toit. The counterpoise-wheels are mountedon the stands z,they

having antifriction rollers attached, upon which the bolt upon which thewheels w4 revolve works. The blocks almost cover over the upper end ofthe wellsw", leaving, however, space enough between them for thecounterpoise-chain cs to pass. The room c is the she1l-roon1. m2, top ofarch forming its roof; n3, top of arch over the passage-ways; L, ironplate with six branches, one under each platform-frame timber, andbolted through it to opposite fastenings. In the'center of it (L) isan'eyebolt, to which the rope (th ree-inch hemp) c is hooked,which,going over the barrel ofthe windlass'c, enables one man with onehand,

if need. be, to haul the gun down below the` surface after dischargingfor'loading again. Two revolutions of c bring it out of sight,

-when it maybe lowered farther, or not, at leisure, if itbe desired.

It is not necessary to lower the gun` for loading. It can be kept as inFig. 7 until its safety is threatened, when, within a second of time, itcan be drawn down out of sight.

To elevate it, throw the barrel of the wind- L4 is the lightroom.

s amasar lass out of gear, when the weights will rush it up to thesarface; then, by pressing on the lever Z at rear of carriage, theeccentrics and forward trucks are thrown into action, andthe gun runsout quickly into battery. Now throw u p the lever, unship'it, and thecarriage resting on its cheeks is ready for ring. The weight of the'officer and four men required to work the guns, and who must alwaysremain on the platform, is included in the allowance to be made in thecounterpoise-weights. The pivot-bolt P, making a common center aboutwhich the two guns revolve, thereby giving them an all-round re, is anadvantage no other fort possesses. Three of these batteries having twoguns each will nearly always offer a front of six pieces toward anypoint, while with other fortifications sixteen guns are required (fouron each front) to accomplish the same thing. x is the post planted underthe center of the gun-pit, and 2x is the shelf, weighted to furtherprevent its being lifted out of place should any extraordinary weight bebrought to bear upon the lowering apparatus c, from which it receivesits greatest support.

Fig. 9 shows end view of the wells w, in which the weights w work overthe wheel 104 under the arch B. The space w will be large or small,according to the size of the wheels wt. The lower arch under the wheelis necessary to procure strength at the point where the whole strain forsupporting the combined weights of the platform, guns, and counterpoisesis alone felt and borne. A', end views of the timbers on which thewheels w4 work in their stands z,which are bolted to A.

Fig. 10 looks down upon the upper endof Fig. 9, the arch B' being out ofthe Way. l Every thing will be recognized here without furtherdescription.

Fig. 1l is au end view of the slides (two out of the six) of theplatform. -The end of the counterpoise-chain c", being fastened at thebolt e8 and led along up the center of the face of the slide, passesthrough z, Fig. 7, over the Wheel w". The upper platform-frame between Aand B2 is decked over; but the lower one, C to D2, is not. The spacebetween A and B2 and the other five spaces require the support'given bythe diagonals M N', which being bolted at the point m4, their lower endsstep near C and D2, straddling the point of intersection of the timbersnear C and D2. This completes the solidity of the platform. n is one ofthe three platform-ladders.

A cog-wheel training-gear will be necessary for use with large guns,while smaller ones can be pointed by hand or with handspikes.

The roof T, Fig. 6, if made lighter, might be made to revolve with theguns.

A turret to withstand the blow from a twenty-inch shot would cost,withthe gearing for revolving it, quite two hundred thousand dollars. Itwill be cheapestin the end to risk the striking of the gun during thefew seconds it will be above ground, rather than expend this sum for aturret. A light iron covering to elevate and lower with the platform,and to maneuver with the slide, might be used to protect the men fromsharp-shooters; but even this is hardly necessary, as every one is belowthe surface excepting the ofiicer who sights the piece, and as he uses atrunnioned sight having an iron shield over and in front of it toprotect him, additional protection will not be needed.

If this battery should be placed where the guns will always be red athigh elevations, it will be best to use a horizontal slide withcompressors rather than the inclined one, as the strain brought to bearupon it would soon tear it to pieces.

In the defense of the coast, where the attacks will be made fromnortheast to southeast, the opposite or rear edge of the battery may bemade lower than the front, as a dropping shot just clearing the frontmight also pass harmlessly over the rear edge also. Its efficiency fordefense against attacks from the rear or on the Hanks will not beimpaired, as the gun can be revolved to work over the rear walls also.

A speaking-tube (upper part flexible) must lead from the platform to themagazines.

p To construct this battery on a reef, or in a marsh, it will only benecessary to make the gun-pit water-tight, supplyit with pumps,andprovide copper tanks for the stowa-ge of powder. Such a battery ineither of the above locations would give great trouble and be verydifficult to reach, owing to its natural surroundings, and exclusive ofthe dreaded torpedo, which will ever be its chief dependence for supportand protection.

If one or more weights become disabled by the shooting away of any oneof the crosspieces of the platform, its weight .or their (counterpoise)weights can be divided among the remaining ones, when it will work asbefore. Weights for division among the others in the event of suchmisfortune should be a part of the outfit for the battery. The platformwill raise and lower with but three counterpoise-iveights in use, doubleweights being used.

011e lamp placed at night in the center of the battery will equallylight every room.

If two inches thickness in the iron plating over the decks of ship isconsidered sufficient, they being in some cases four hundred feet bysixty feet, one inch thickness over a wooden cover should be sufficientin the case over the gun-pit of this battery, it being so very muchsmaller, (thirteen feet only5) and, what will be more desirable, a largewrought-iron grating, iitting in lieu of the solid cover, might be used.

Shot from mortars or from guns at great distances, iired at highelevations, alone can do damage to such a cover; and if there is one ornot, a shot entering the gun-pit is not necessarily compelled to do anyserious injury, as by passing between the frame timbers 204,831 Y f l 7through the gratings the loss of av ladder only might be the result. Thechances to strike into so small a hole are so slim that it will be bestto use the money which 'may be expended in vproviding unnecessaryprotection to one batteryr to the construction of a dozen other suchbatteries.

Steam or hydraulics might be used to work this battery; but itscheapness and simplicity will be destroyed,while greater efficiency willnot be added.

As it now stands, a raw recruit, after once seeing it in operation,wouldthoroughly understand it, and be mechanic enough to re` move orrepair any irregularity in its working.

To build this, and then hold it, costs but ]ittle,while its loss will beconfined to its cost only, for it can be disabled by its own people soquickly and thoroughly as to make it impossible for the enemy to use itto his own advantage. If any one battery be threatened by the enemy, itspeople can retreat to their rooms below, previously lowering thev gun,while thekother batteries can concentrate their fire upon the enemyabout it. No other fort or battery could be thus protected without(loing damage to it own garrison.

The guns are fired as rapidly on these platforms as they can befredifotherwise mounted, while the feeling of security which ils men eX-perience enables them to use their guns effectively at all times.

Racks for smallarms are placed in the pas sage-ways.

Electrical and other torpedoes protect all` the approaches to thisbattery.

Additional men can be accommodated by slinging cots for'them under theplatform and in hammocks in the passages. Ample room for their stowageduring the day is to be had in the cellar under the gun-pit.

Lead pipes lead through the walls of the gun-pitfrom just above theplatform,when it is lowered, to the pins upon which the counterpoise-wheel works.

Conveniences in the shape of lockers are put up over the mens berths,Figs. 1,- 2, 3, and 7, and the officers7 rooms furnished as necessityrequires.

lf it cannot be gotten otherwise, one of the many small gas-machinesinuse shonldlbe provided for these batteries, to furnish light and themeans for cooking.

When the battery is not in use it will be well to relieve theconnterpoisewheels of the constant strain brought to bear upon them.

First landthe weights w4 on bits of plank on the blocks b; then shove up(the fractional part of an inch will do) the center at L, and the endsof all, the slides at F. they can be removed and the battery made readyfor service.

For field service: The guns being small and their (batteries) need buttemporary, greater simplicity in the construction of them than in thatof permanent ones may be fol- In an instant for service withintwenty-four hours.

Rooms are not required, las in larger batteries, and the ammunition-chests can be stowed in the bottom ofthe gunepit and between the wellsfor counterpoise-weights on theside neizt to the enemy,where they willbe#V out of harms way.

The horses, caissons, and limbers, which otherwise would be exposed toinjury, can be removed to places of safety, or be used with other gunsin other localities where shifting batteries may be required.

The Gattling gun so mounted (on a coun.- terpoised platform) would haveits efficiency greatly augmented.

[No lowering apparatus is required with these light guns, exceptingshort lines fast- Y ened to the platform frames, by which the men belowcan pull the guns down for loading.' A longer one amidships to retainthe platform in position, by securing it to the end of an ordinary postdriven in the ground,'will alone be necessary.

Should an enemy desert this portion of the field, the guns can betransported on their field-carriages.

It is not the Whole cost of any one of these batteries which is to beconsidered, but the difference between their cost and that of otherbatteries, and in field service the saving in material will more thanpay for them.

Electrical torpedoes will be used in their defense.

In rivers and harbors these batteries can be used on iron-plated vesselsadvantageously, and to have these vessels Steamers are not necessary.Expensive turrets, which offer too ne a mark to shoot at, are avoided,and the gun is brought down so near to the surface of the water as tomake it as difficult to be struck as to be seen. It has, too, a greatadvantage for ricochet firing, which, in smooth water, in a fog, atnight, or when the direction only, and not the distance, from an enemyis known,wi11 prove invaluable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationof the platform having uprights A E and B F, &c., with the Weights w andpulleys wt, as set forth.

2. The combination of the platform having uprightsA E and B F, &c., withgrooves or ways S and Stops S', substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the elevating-platform (carrying the gun) with therammerpipes Rt, substantially as shown.

4. The combination of the platform having form, upper rim 00 xd, and theshield S, aS uprights A E and B F, 8m., with the weights, ses fol-th.pulleys, and windlass, as set forth or shown. Wtnesss my hand in matterof my applica.- 5. The combination of the platform A B fion for 2Lpatent for a counterpoise-battely with the skeletonplatform C D, as setforth. for the protection of cannon in coast defense 6. The combinationof the platform A B and the eld, and also on board ironclad gunwit-h theplatform C D, the braces M and N, boats for river and harbor defense,this 24th and the centerpost K, as set forth. day of December, A. D.1875.

7. The combination of the uprights A E BEVERLEY KENNON. and B F, &c.,with the skeletonplatforln C D Vtnesses: and braces O and H,substantially as shown. JNO. S. SLATER,

8. The combination of the elevatngplat- CHAs. H. MoULToN.

